In December, the Society
for Developmental
Biology membership voted
on amendments to the SDB
bylaws recommended by
the Board of Directors.
These updates included
changes to membership
categories, the
composition of the Board
of Directors, and legal
language to accommodate
current law.

SDB is now accepting nominations for
President-elect, Secretary, Representatives for Canada, Northwest and Southeast regions, and two new representatives to the Board—PUI Representative and Trainee Representative.
See
nomination details for more information.
Nomination deadline is
April 9, 2018.

The SDB Professional Development and Education
Committee reinvented the
John Doctor
Education Prize (formally a best education
poster award) as a best education video
award. We challenge SDB members to produce
short videos on their approach to teaching
a developmental biology topic of their
choosing
to an undergraduate, graduate, or lay public
audience. Individuals or teams may
participate. See guidelines
here.
Submission deadline is
June 4, 2018.

Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017 causing widespread devastation. The Category 5 storm knocked out power to the entire island, destroyed roads and bridges, and left many of the island’s 3.4 million residents without safe drinking water and ninety-five percent of the island without cell phone service and thus a means of communication. On October 5, 2017 the Society for Developmental Biology announced the SDB Puerto Rico Research Relief Grant .
. .

Six SDB regional meetings will be held throughout
the US and Canada this year (five this spring and one in the
fall). Regional
meetings are an excellent opportunity for students
and postdocs to present their research and give
short talks. See
upcoming events below for meeting dates and
locations.

in other news

Scientists at the Rochester Institute of Technology
(RIT) are conducting a
survey on the lab research
experiences of advisors and deaf or hard of hearing
students. They are interested in any individual with
limited or no signing ability who has advised a deaf
or hard of hearing student in the last 3 years. If you fit these criteria and are willing to take part in the study, please send an email to Austin Gehret
at augnts@rit.edu.